Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and directed by Betty Thomas. The film is an adaptation of the autobiographical chapters from the best-selling 1993 book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, developed from a script by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko. It follows Stern's life from boyhood and his rise to success in radio. Stern and several of his radio show staff star as themselves, including newscaster and co-host Robin Quivers, producers Fred Norris and Gary Dell'Abate, and comedian Jackie Martling. The film also stars Mary McCormack, Allison Janney, Michael Murphy, and Paul Giamatti.

When a proposed film featuring Stern as his superhero character Fartman fell through, development for a new film began in 1994, several months after the book Private Parts was released. Stern signed with Rysher Entertainment, who agreed to fund its production, and teamed with Reitman, who thought a biographical take on Stern's life was best suited for a film. Production was delayed after Stern rejected 22 scripts from several screenwriters until he accepted one developed by Blum and Kalesniko in late 1995. Filming took place in the New York City area and Washington, D.C., in 1996 with a budget of $28 million, during which Stern continued to host his radio show each weekday morning. Numerous celebrities and family members of the radio show staff make cameo appearances in the film. The soundtrack is compiled of songs from several rock bands as well as two original tracks featuring Stern performing with Rob Zombie and the Dust Brothers.

The film premiered on February 27, 1997, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and was theatrically released on March 7 by Paramount Pictures. It debuted at number one at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend with a gross of $14.6 million and earned a domestic total of $41.2 million. It received mostly positive reviews from film critics, a group whom Stern made a conscious effort to please, including those who did not listen to the radio show nor were fans of his. In 1998, the film was released on DVD, and Stern won a Blockbuster Award for Favorite Male Newcomer for his performance. Stern shot additional scenes for a censored version of the film prior to its premiere television broadcast on the USA Network in 1999.

Plot Following his appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards as his superhero character Fartman, radio personality Howard Stern boards his flight home and finds himself seated next to a stranger named Gloria who is visibly repelled by him. Stern, thinking she sees him as a moron, begins to tell his life story, starting with the verbal abuse he received as a young child from his father Ben. Stern has always dreamed of being on the radio after visiting his father's recording studio but grows up to be a quiet, socially awkward guy. He decides to work in radio and studies communications at Boston University. He becomes a DJ at WTBU, the college station, and meets his girlfriend Alison.

After graduating, Howard works at WRNW in Briarcliff Manor, New York, and is promoted to program director, which allows him to marry Alison. He leaves the station after being asked to fire a fellow DJ and moves to WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut, where he befriends DJ Fred Norris. Howard adopts a more casual attitude on the air, becoming more open and up front. He and Fred attend the premiere of actress Brittany Fairchild's new film. The three leave early for Fairchild's hotel room, where she strips for a bath and convinces Howard and Fred to join in. Brittany's behavior becomes more sexual, and an embarrassed Howard leaves. When Alison finds his wet underwear in their car and believes he has been unfaithful, she leaves him. Howard leaves Hartford for WWWW in Detroit, Michigan, and is miserable, but Alison goes to Detroit and forgives him. WWWW then switches to country music and Howard quits.

Howard starts at WWDC in Washington, D.C., in 1981 and meets his news anchor Robin Quivers, whom he encourages to riff with him on the air. They refuse orders from boss Dee Dee for constantly breaking format. One of their antics, in which Howard assists a female caller to reach orgasm, almost gets him fired until a ratings boost forces Dee Dee to keep him and hire Fred to the team. Meanwhile Alison announces her pregnancy, but it ends in miscarriage. Although they cheer each other up by joking about it, Howard makes light of the situation on the air, which greatly upsets Alison.

When Alison becomes pregnant again, Howard gets his dream offer to work in New York City at WNBC, where he has the chance to become a nationwide success. However, upper management at NBC hired Howard not realizing what his show was like until they see a news report about him. Program director Kenny Rushton, whom Howard refers to as Pig Vomit, offers to keep Howard in line or he will force him to quit. Howard, Fred, and Robin ignore Kenny's restrictions on content until a risqué Match Game with comedian Jackie Martling causes Rushton to fire Robin. The show fails with her absence, and her replacement quits after Howard's interview with an actress who swallows a kielbasa sausage. Robin is eventually brought back, but Howard's antics continue with a naked woman in the studio, resulting in Kenny cutting off the broadcast. Howard gets the show back on the air and gets into a physical altercation with Kenny in his office.

In 1985 Howard becomes number one at WNBC, and Kenny tries to gain Howard's friendship but is promptly turned down. Howard thanks his fans with an outdoor concert by AC/DC. During the performance Alison is rushed to the hospital and gives birth to a girl. The film then cuts back to the flight, revealing that Howard has told his story to Gloria. Though he believes he could pick her up, Howard remains faithful and meets Alison at the airport as his daughters run to greet him.

During the end credits Stuttering John rants about his absence in the film. At the Oscars Mia Farrow then presents an Academy Award for Best Actor to Howard, who appears as Fartman once again, but Howard falls from mid-air and the audience applauds. Having left radio, Kenny now manages a shopping mall in Alabama and blames Howard for his downfall. During his outbursts his swearing is drowned out by jackhammer noises.

Cast

Howard Stern as himself / The Narrator Bobby Boriello as 7-year-old Howard Michael Maccarone as 12-year-old Howard Matthew Friedman as 16-year-old Howard Robin Quivers as herself Mary McCormack as Alison Stern Fred Norris as himself Paul Giamatti as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton Gary Dell'Abate as himself Jackie Martling as himself Carol Alt as Gloria Kelly Bishop as Ray Stern Henry Goodman as Moti Jonathan Hadary as Griff Paul Hecht as Ross Buckingham Allison Janney as Dee Dee Michael Murphy as Roger Elick James Murtaugh as Payton Richard Portnow as Ben Stern Reni Santoni as Vin Vallesecca Lee Wilkof as Marvin Mamoulian Jenna Jameson as Mandy Adam LeFevre as Sales Manager Sasha Martin as Emily Beth Stern Sarah Hyland as Debra Jennifer Stern Melanie Good as Brittany Fairchild Leslie Bibb as NBC Page Camille Donatacci Grammer as Camille, The Card Girl Edie Falco as Alison's Friend Amber Smith as Julie Janine Lindemulder as Camp Director's Wife Michael Gwynne as Duke of Rock Alison Stern (Stern's then wife) as WNBC Receptionist Nancy Sirianni, (Martling's then wife) as Extra in the film festival scene, seated in front of Stern Allison Furman-Norris (Norris' wife) as a WNBC Receptionist Theresa Lynn as Orgasm Woman Althea Cassidy as The Kielbasa Queen

As themselves and cameo appearances

David Letterman Mia Farrow Crackhead Bob Nicole Bass AC/DC (Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams) "Stuttering John" Melendez Ozzy Osbourne Dee Snider Tiny Tim (posthumous) John Stamos Flavor Flav John Popper Slash Ted Nugent MC Hammer

Production

Origins By 1992 Stern had experienced a rise in popularity as a radio and television personality. In July he struck a deal with New Line Cinema to produce a film based on his superhero character Fartman, which he devised in July 1981 when he hosted mornings at WWDC in Washington, D.C. He first announced the film, which Stern claimed "came from nowhere ... top of my head", during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. That November, Variety reported that screenwriter J. F. Lawton was hired to write and direct the film titled The Adventures of Fartman. The film, which was budgeted between $8 and $11 million, was expected to go into production in May 1993 with David Permut assigned as producer under his Permut Presentations banner. According to Lawton, The Adventures of Fartman revolved around the superhero and his alter ego, a magazine publisher in the mold of Screw magazine's Al Goldstein.Lawton directs Stern in wind-breaking film variety.com, November 25, 1992 On June 28, 1993, Lawton revealed more information for Time magazine: "There's a lot of nudity, some harsh language, a lesbian love scene, and the main character works for an underground sex magazine. We told New Line Cinema the plot, and they said, 'Yeah, it sounds great. But can't we make it PG-13?'"Hollywood's Summer: Just Kidding Time Magazine, June 28, 1993 Soon after, Stern became unhappy with the idea of making a PG-rated film and had disputes with New Line Cinema over the merchandising rights. Coupled with the quality of the scripts being drafted, the project was shelved in 1993 before the production could begin. Its cancellation affected Stern, who became depressed — "I'd gone on air and said, 'I'm going to make a movie.' I sort of felt like a liar. I looked like I had failed."

Development A film project remained inactive until the release of Stern's first book, the part memoir and part commentary Private Parts, in October 1993. It became the fastest selling book in publisher Simon & Schuster's history after five days of release. In the following month, Stern's agent had started to contact film studios with the aim of adapting the book into a feature film. In the following months, Stern entered an agreement with film and television content management company Rysher Entertainment, who wished to provide funding for a film. This led to Stern working with Rysher founder Keith Samples, Paramount producer David Kirkpatrick, director John G. Avildsen in September 1994 and, in August 1994, screenwriter Peter Torokvei, who was hired to complete a "production rewrite" of a script already prepared. Torokvei claimed a set of line producers, production secretary, and film coordinators had "seemed to be in place" upon his arrival to New York City, but the project underwent the first of several delays over the film's story. Torokvei completed a draft, but it was not signed off.